He racked up the most wins of any college quarterback, but never heard his name called on draft day. As odd as that may sound it was reality for former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore who went undrafted last week. While he undoubtedly had one of the best careers in NCAA history, there’s a reason he wasn’t drafted.
Moore wasn’t drafted, but has a shot at an NFL roster after he signed with Detroit as a free agent.
As a Vandal, it’s hard to give any Bronco a compliment, but I have to admit Moore was a great college quarterback. In his career he boasted a 50-3 record and passed for more than 14,000 yards. While those numbers may seem draft-worthy, his body type is an issue.
Moore is an intelligent and accurate quarterback, but his arm lacks power. In the NFL a quarterback has to be able to throw a good, deep ball with velocity and fit it into tight places without being picked off. Moore’s arm simply doesn’t have that kind of velocity.
Daryle W. Hier of Yahoo Sports agrees that Moore’s arm makes his NFL future questionable.
“First off, the left-hander doesn’t have a strong arm which is a liability that squashes most college football quarterbacks’ chances at the pros — mainly due to the fact in the NFL, the ball has to be zipped into a tiny spot on the field,” Hier said.
Another issue with Moore is his height. Moore stands just under 6-foot, which will make it difficult for him to see over the offensive line. NFL quarterbacks are typically 6-foot-3 or taller, and as Bleacher Report’s Scott Bischoff points out, Moore’s height creates a variety of problems.
“Having seen him at the Senior Bowl, it is hard to believe that he could be close to that weight,” Bischoff said. “He has a very weak body type and does not look athletic in any area of his body. He is short and this will lead to footballs getting batted down at the line of scrimmage. There is some concern about how his body would hold up against the bigger bodies in the NFL.”
While many would be quick to point out that Saints quarterback Drew Brees is also short, Brees has the advantage of an NFL-caliber arm.
It doesn’t make sense on paper that Moore wasn’t drafted and Idaho’s Nathan Enderle was a year ago. While it’s true Enderle doesn’t have the accuracy and ability to read defenses like Moore has, he had the physical attributes. Enderle is tall and has a cannon of an arm, which is what NFL coaches look for in a quarterback. Physicality can’t be coached.
Moore’s NFL future is unknown, but it’s hard to rule him out. He may become an underdog success story, but I wouldn’t count on it. He simply doesn’t have the physical qualities of an NFL quarterback and will most likely spend his career as a backup or make the move to the arena league or the CFL.
Kevin Bingaman can be reached at [email protected]